Control circuit



CONTROL CIRCUIT All@ 25, l941- A. P. BLoxsoM @253,840

CONTROL CIRCUIT Filed Aug. l2, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ALLAN Pi EL OXSOM INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 26, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL QIRGUIT I Allan P. Bloxso'm, Houston, Tex. v l I Application August 12, 18,39, Serial No. 289,765 v z claims.` (el. 1773-353) The invention relates to a selective control system and particularly toa system for selectively controlling equipment from a point remote therefrom.

The invention broadly relates yto a system for selectively controlling equipment generally but is of particular utility in conection with the recorder and reproducer constituting the subject matter of the invention disclosed in my Patent 2,154,722.

An object of the invention is to provide a device which may be utilized to selectively close electrical circuits at a point remote from that whence the control operation is initiated.

Another object is to provide a selective cirtioning of apparatus may be controlled by the use of a single control line.

It is also v'an object to provide a device of the class described which is-automatically restored to initial or normal condition upon completion of a predetermined sequence of v.events inthe circuit which is selectively closed thereby.

These and other objects will be` apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematicv circuit diagram of an embodiment of the invention including elements ofthe construction shown in perspective to more clearly illustrate the construction and mode of operation of thesystem; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken Fig. l. e

Fig. 3 'is a diagrammatic across-the-line diagram illustrating the `wiring of one embodiment of the invention.

The present invention' is described as operable thru the use of incoming ringing signals over a telephone line. It is to be understood however that'the invention is not confined to such use specifically but is of utility in any instance where the selective control of apparatus is to be effected thru the use of control impulses transmitted at regular intervals over a line from the point of control to the controlled mechanism remote therefrom. n

' Referring to the invention as controlled by ringing signals as used in telephony, the general' embodiment of the invention comprises a line ringer I of conventional construction connected to control the operation of a motor 2 hav'- ing output shaft 3 provided with a pinion 4 xed thereon.

v Ashaft I has mounted ther-ecn a cylinder II,

such shaft and cylinder being driven bythe mospring `I2 surrounding the distal end of the shaft` I0 and having its opposite ends attached to the cylinder and a fixed anchor member I3. An eccentric ratchet I6 is mounted upon the "shaft I0 and is engageableby a bell crank lever cuit control system whereby the desired func- Il pivoted at I8 andihaving attached thereto a spring I9 which may assume a position at either side of the pivot' I8. The spring I9 therefore urges the lever I'l ytoa terminal position which is determined by the stop pin 20 or Vthe plunger 2| of solenoid 22 attached to the lower arm 23 of the bell crank lever' Il. The uppermost position of the bell'crank lever I'l is shown in'dotted outline at I1. f

The cylinder II has spaced series of contacts generally designated as and 36. Series 35 comprises contacts 4U, 40', 40", 4I, and 4I. The contacts 4,3, 40 and 40, of this series are connected by means of wire 42, the upper blade 43 of electrornagnetv switch 44 and wire 45 to the coil 59 of the circuit closing mechanism at the ringer I. The coil 5I), once energized, serves to maintain this circuit closed during -a ringing interval. The contacts l4I, and 4I are connected by means of Wire 46, the lower blade 41 of the switch 44 and the conductor 48 to one terminal of the battery 4,9 which isy also connected to the switch arm 5I,'engageable by the clapper 52 of the ringer I.

"The group of contacts to which reference has just been made are engageable with the wiping contact terminal 6B on arm 6I which is urged toward the cylinder Il by means of the spring 62. The wiping contact lil)` is inturn connected thru the conductor 63 to retarded relay 59 and thence through conductork 64to motor 2 of which the other terminal is connected to the battery The series' of contacts referred to as 35 also includes a wedge shaped contact 65 which is connected thru conductor 66 to one o-f the terminals 6l' of a ycircuit to be closed by the device, which circuit is comparable to the recording circuitin my above mentioned. patent and which is referred to generally as 61 in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Such closure takes place after the V,cylinder I I has rotated thru a sufficient angle that a wiping terminal 68 on the arm`6I engages Ythe contact` 65. It should be noted that by virtue of the configuration of the contact 6 5 the arm 6I is lifted as the-.terminal 6 8 rides upon this contact and in this manner the circuit thru the wiping contact 50 and hence thru the motor 2 is opened, whereby the operation of the motor is terminated.

During rotation of the cylinder II as above described, the eccentric ratchet I6 moves the bell crank lever I'I so that the spring I9 crosses the pivot I8 and holds the lever with the upper arm hereof in engagement with the pin 20. Hence, upon deenergization of the motor 2 the 'spring i2 tends to return the cylinder to initial position. Such action is prevented since energy in the circuit just closed flows through a conductor 69 to solenoid 22 which pulls the bell crank lever I'I downwardly so that the notch 31 in the eccentric disc is engaged by the bell crank lever I'I and the shaft I0 is restrained from rotation so long as the solenoid 22 is energized.

circuit includes the conductor 69, solenoid 22 and wire 86 connected to wiping contact 82.

In explaining the operation of the invention it will iirst be assumed that it is desired to close a circuit across terminals 61. An incoming ringing signal vibrates the clapper 52 which moves the switch arm 5I to the left to close a circuit through the motor 2 and through the relay 59. This circuit includes the coil 5U, conductor 45, switch arm 43, conductor 42, contact 40, wiping terminal 60, conductor 63, relay 59, conductor 64, motor 2 and conductor E4' to the other side of the battery 49. Energization of the relay 59 causes the arm 80 to be lifted and the drum II It should also be noted that the eccentricity of the ratchet disc I6 is such that when wiping Contact 88 engages wedge contact 65, the spring I9 tends to pull the bell crank lever I1 upwardly to permit the cylinder I I to return to initial position. Hence, upon completion of the sequence of events in the closed circuit and opening of that circuit, the solenoid 22 will be deenergized, the bell crank lever will be lifted by the spring I9 from engagement with notch 3I in the eccentric ratchet disc IB and the spring I2 will then return the vmechanism to initial condition.

The clockwise movement of the ratchet disc I6, as the mechanism returns to the condition shown in Fig. l, will cause the arm 38 on this disc to engage the upper arm of the bell crank lever, as indicated in dotted outline, and move the lever downwardly so that the notch 39 ofthe ratchet disc will be engaged whereby the clockwise movement of the cylinder II under the influence of spring I2 is terminated.

The contact series 38 includes a movable contact 'l0 slidably fitting within the channeled segment II mounted upon the arm 'l2 (Fig. 2) within the slot 'I3 in the cylinder II. The arm I2 is mounted upon a tubular shaft 'I5 surrounding the shaft I9 and extending axially of the cylinder Il.

The shaft 'I5 'terminates in arm I6 at the end of the cylinder II and such arm may be moved angularly of the end of the cylinder II whereby the position of the contact 'I0 is determined. This arm may be ixed in any desired position by means yof the manually operable latch pin I'I which is engageable with any of the openings 'I8 in the end of the cylinder I I. In this manner the movable contact 'I9 may be positioned peripherally of the cylinder II, as desired, to serve a purpose that will be more fully apparent from the summary of the mode of operation of the device of the invention.

The arm 80 is lifted when the relay 59 is fully energized but, when the actuating impulses of the ringer I are produced in a predetermined manner, the solenoid will not be energized and the wiping contact 8| on the arm 80 will engage movable contact 'Ill to close the circuit from the battery 49 to the motor 2 thence by way of conductor 64 to contacts 8l and I0 to and through solenoid 44 and conductor 45 to the other terminal of the battery so that the cylinder II ywill be driven as indicated by the arrow 25. This operation will continue until the wiping contact 82 on the arm 89 engages wedge shaped contact 83 whereupon the larm 80 will be lifted and motor 2 will be deenergized.

The engagement of contacts 82 and 83 closes a circuit through conductor 84 to one of the terminals 85 of a second circuit to be closed. This is driven by the motor 2 in the direction indicated by'the'arrow 25. The ringing signal continues during travel of the two contacts 40 beneath wiping contact 80. During the following silent period of the ringer I, the wiping contact 60 engages contact 4| which is connected directly to the battery 49 through the conductors 46 and 48. This sequence of circuit closures continues as contacts 48', 4I and 40 make engagement with wiping contact 60 until wedge contact 65 is engaged to effect closure of a circuit across terminals El. During the period of rotation of the drum II the relay 59 holds the arm 80 outwardly and hence the circuit cannot close but may be closed in the manner hereafter described.

As already explained, the cylinder II is then held, against the force exerted by the spring I2, by the engagement of bell crank lever II with notch 31 of ratchet disc IE when solenoid 22 is energized, and all parts of the device remain static as the solenoid is energized during the sequence of operations in the closed circuit is completed. Since the solenoid 22 is connected to the circuit 61 which is closed, it is to be understood that such circuit includes a source of energy for the solenoid and that such circuit is opened and the solenoid 22 is deenergized when the desired sequence of events in the circuit is completed. The cylinder II is then returned to initial position under the influence of the spring I2.

It is apparent that as many contacts as desired may be provided on the cylinder II so that any number of series of impulses to the ringer I will eiect closure of the circuit across terminals 67. That is, any desired number of contacts may be provided so that a desired and predetermined number of ringing impulses will take place before closure of the contacts 65 and 68.

It will'now be assumed that the circuit 85 having across terminals 85 is to be closed. In such event the .arm 'I6 is set so that a given number of ringing intervals or silent periods of the ringer I will bring the wiping contact 8l to a position for engagement with the movable contact 1D. In the illustration a single ringing interval will accomplish this condition although it is apparent from the enclosed construction that adjustment may be made so that a plurality of ringing intervals will accomplish this purpose. Hence, ringing is terminated at the end of this ringing interval by the caller who desires to selectively close the circuit across the terminals 85. Such termination of ringing is effected by the calling party returning his receiver to its normal position upon its support. If the telephone instrument is part of a conventional automatic circuit the disconnect is automatic whereas the action of an intervening operator will be instrumental in eiecting such disconnect in a manual system. The bell crank lever I1 then engages notch 34 on the ratchet disc I6 under the influence of spring I9 since the bell crank lever is not moved suciently to move the line of force of the spring from below the pivot i8.

Thereafter ringing is again initiated from the remote point and initial current through conductor 45, switch operating magnet 44 contacts 10 and 8l, wire 64 and the motor 2 will open the switch 43, 41 and the motor will be operated by virtue of current passing through contacts 10 and 8l and the associated circuit connections from the battery 49. This ringing may continue indefinitely but will effect desired closure of the circuit 85 when a predetermined number of impulses have taken place. When, however, the circuit 85 constitutes the transmitting or repeating circuit of my Patent No. 2,154,722, obviously ringing will be discontinued as soon as the desired closure of the circuit 85 is effected.

'Ihe mechanism will continue to operate until contact 32 rides upon wedge contact 83 when, as already explained, the circuit across terminals 85 will be closed. Engagement of the bell crank lever l1 with the notch 31 in the ratchet disc I6 will maintain the circuit closed until completion of the sequence of operations in the selectively closed circuit whereupon the solenoid 22 will be deenergized and the mechanism will be returned to initial condition ready for subsequent selective operation. It is to be noted that contacts 65 and 83 are spaced angularly upon the cylinder Il and hence the contacts 65 and 68 are not in engagement when a circuit is closed through contacts 82 and 83 and vice versa. t

Broadly the invention comprehends a mechanism for selectively controlling a plurality of mechanisms by signals from a point remote therefrom.

I claim:

1. A selector device for closing a rst or a second of two work circuits in response respectively to 'a first or second series of impulses, comprising an impulse responsive circuit closing device, an electric motor, a drum biased to a normal position and driven by said motor against its bias, a series of circumferentially spaced contacts on the drum and a stationary contact cooperating therewith, certain of said drum contacts closing the motor circuit directly and certain others, including the contact at the normal position, closing the motor circuit through the impulse responsive circuit closing device, means whereby the drum closes the irst of said circuits after a predetermined travel thereof in response to the first series of impulses which contains an impulse corresponding to each of the contacts closing the motor circuit through the impulse responsive contact device, additional contacts on the drum circumferentially spaced and an additional stationary contact cooperating therewith, means included in the motor circuit closed through any one of the said series of contacts for preventing the engagement of the additional stationary contact with its cooperating contacts whereby said stationary contact will be permitted to engage said additional contacts when no impulse is received when the cylinder is in a position wherein the first stationary contact engages the said certain other of said contacts of the series, a motor circuit closed through said second stationary contact, one of the additional contacts and the impulse responsive circuit closing means, means in said last circuit for rendering ineiective the said series of contacts and means for closing the second circuit including the second stationary contact and a second one of the additional contacts.

2. A structure as in the preceding claim and including means for retaining the drum in circuit selecting position against its bias until the work circuits are opened at another point.

ALLAN P. BLOXSOM. 

